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LANSDOWNE, Va., Aug. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Today, the Cooke Foundation announced the opening of the application period for the largest private scholarship in the United States for community college transfer students. Exceptional community college students with financial need and plans to transfer to a four-year college or university have until noon ET on October 24 to apply for a prestigious Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, which is worth up to $40,000 per year.

The Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship makes it possible for the nation’s top community college students to complete their bachelor’s degrees by transferring to a selective four-year college or university. The foundation provides up to $40,000 per year to each of approximately 45 deserving students selected annually, making it the largest private scholarship for two-year and community college transfer students in the country.

“Community college students are more likely than students at four-year schools to come from families with low and moderate incomes. Yet they are just as likely to possess the capacity and drive to succeed at our most elite colleges and universities,” said Cooke Foundation Executive Director Harold O. Levy. “If a high-achieving community college student wants to transfer to a four-year institution, we want to remove financial need as a barrier to their success.”

Since 2002, 860 Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars have received over $36 million in scholarship assistance. A 2015 Cooke Foundation study found that the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars routinely do better at elite four-year institutions than many students who started as freshmen.

One former recipient of the scholarship, Christina Simons, began her studies at Suffolk County Community College in New York. After receiving a Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, she transferred to the California Institute of the Arts, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in photography and media in 2012. She now plans to attend the University of Oxford to study for a master of fine arts degree and a Ph.D. in contemporary art practice.

A total of 45 Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarships will be awarded in the spring. A review panel of university admissions professionals and faculty will judge scholarship applicants based on their achievements and academic ability, financial need, persistence, leadership and service to others.

To be eligible for the scholarship, a student must: 1) currently attend an accredited community college or have graduated from a community college since 2013, 2) have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or better, 3) demonstrate significant unmet financial need, and 4) plan to enroll in a full-time baccalaureate program at an accredited college or university in fall 2018.

Cooke Scholarships fund the costs of attending college not covered by other financial aid, plus academic advising, stipends for internships, study abroad, and opportunities to network with other Cooke Scholars and alumni. In addition, after earning a bachelor’s degree, Cooke Scholars may be eligible to apply for the Cooke Graduate Scholarship.

To find out more about the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, and to start your application, please visit our site.

The Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded $175 million in scholarships to more than 2,300 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive counseling and other support services. The foundation has also provided over $97 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org

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Suffolk County Community College and St. John’s University have entered into a new partnership to ensure that students will be able to transfer seamlessly from Suffolk to St. John’s. The institutions formally announced the agreement at a signing ceremony on March 30 at Suffolk County Community College’s Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood.
The agreement signed by the colleges’ presidents provides 33 associates-to-bachelor degree programs for students who will be provided an academic pathway to transfer to St. John’s University. St. John’s University will also generously award an annual $17,000 scholarship to students who attain a set academic goal.

“Enhancing access and affordability to higher education is a shared goal of Suffolk County Community College and St. John’s University,” said Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Shaun L. McKay. “This agreement will further that goal by providing a pathway for Suffolk students to complete their associate degrees at Suffolk and transition to St. John’s University to complete their baccalaureate degrees. The agreement between St. John’s University and Suffolk County Community College will provide students from the region with access to a high-quality, affordable education,” McKay said.

“This mutually beneficial academic agreement supports St. John’s strategic priorities of ensuring student success and expanding community partnerships,” said Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw, Ph.D., President of St. John’s University. “Suffolk County Community College is the largest community college in the SUNY system and we look forward to the continued matriculation of students from Suffolk to St. John’s. This partnership will establish a pathway for student success through the completion of their baccalaureate degrees at St. John’s University.”

“This new relationship with St. John’s will create incredible opportunities for Suffolk graduates. It is a real testament and joy to share with an institution of the caliber of St. John’s University the education of Long Island’s greatest resource,” said Suffolk County Community College Dean of Instruction Dr. Paul Beaudin.

About St. John’s University
Founded in 1870, St. John’s is a Catholic and Vincentian University that promotes student success through academic excellence, global studies, and a focus on service. Students from 47 states and 123 foreign countries pursue more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degrees. The Red Storm—St. John’s 17 BIG EAST, Division I men’s and women’s athletic squads—is considered New York’s hometown team. St. John’s has three New York City campuses—in Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island—along with its Long Island Graduate Center. The University also has a campus in Rome, Italy, in addition to study abroad locations in Paris, France, and Seville, Spain.

About Suffolk County Community College

Suffolk has more than 27,000 students enrolled at three campuses in Selden, Brentwood and Riverhead, and is the largest community college in New York State. Suffolk offers Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.), and Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees and professional certificates in 100 programs of study.

HIGHLIGHTS

Joint program aims to boost bachelor’s degree holders

New partnership will be in effect for 3 years

Nursing students in good standing at Suffolk County Community College will have the opportunity to be admitted automatically into the competitive bachelor’s degree program at Stony Brook University because of a new partnership to begin this fall that aims to fast-track higher education for practicing nurses.

Officials from both schools are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding Tuesday at the Stony Brook campus.

The new program — called Suffolk-Stony Brook Nursing First — will be the first on Long Island to give students at a community college joint admission into a bachelor’s degree program. The partnership diversifies and accelerates nursing education attainment, advocates say, and answers the call by medical professionals to increase the number of registered nurses with bachelor’s degrees by 2020.

“Our colleagues at Suffolk do an outstanding job in preparing and diversifying our nursing workforce with the selection and training of future nurses,” said Lee Anne Xippolitos, dean of Stony Brook University School of Nursing. “However, with dramatic changes in an ever-changing health care landscape, the need to educate nurses who are skilled at the highest levels is necessary. This program provides the students with a wonderful bridge to that education.”

To gain admittance into SBU’s nursing school in their junior year, SCCC nursing students would need to maintain a 3.1 grade-point average, out of 4.0, and complete the associate in science degree. The initial class will consist of 65 students; and the Nursing First program will have its own admissions committee, Xippolitos said.

Entering Stony Brook’s traditional bachelor’s of nursing program is competitive. The school receives 1,200 to 1,400 applications, granting interviews to 400 of those, for 160 spots.

Students who choose SCCC for the first two years would save on tuition. For the 2016-17 academic year, SCCC’s tuition was $4,770; SBU’s tuition was $6,470.

A 2010 report by the Institute of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation called for nurses to achieve higher levels of education and training through the educational system and promotes seamless academic progression. “The Future of Nursing Report” points out that by 2020 the nation will need an additional 1 million nurses at the bedside to care for an aging population.

The report also recommends that 80 percent of the practicing nurses be educated at the baccalaureate level in order to continue to perform at the level needed as nursing practices advance along with medicine.

To practice as a registered nurse in New York, a person must be licensed and registered with the state Education Department, which is dependent upon successfully completing a licensing exam. A person with an associate degree is able to sit for the exam and work as an RN.

A bachelor’s degree in nursing is becoming a new employment requirement by hospitals on Long Island and New York City. Additionally, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, which represents 800 nursing schools nationally, recognizes the bachelor of science degree in nursing as the minimum educational requirement for professional nursing practice.

SCCC President Shaun McKay said the partnership will facilitate upward educational and career mobility for his students.

“As a community college, Suffolk cannot be late in meeting the demands of our regional employers, because our mission directs us to be at the forefront in preparing the area’s workforce,” said McKay, who has been president since 2010. “We are a critical economic development engine and we must be particularly nimble.”

In 2016, 80 percent of SCCC’s students passed the state-registered nurse license exam; 95 percent of SBU’s students passed, according to SCCC and SBU officials. This data is reported on the state’s Office of the Professions website, which tracks the pass rates of first-time test-takers. The 2016 numbers were not yet available on the site.

The memorandum of understanding between SBU and SCCC’s nursing school will be in effect for three years. In the fall of 2020, faculty leaders will assess the program, they said.

If you’re looking for a career with meaning, action, diversity, satisfaction, and an abundance of options, Social Work is the career for you. Come and join us and learn all about this fascinating career. You will hear from a dynamic group of experienced Social Workers who have been in the field for many years. We look forward to seeing you.

Panelists Including Suffolk County Community College Alumni

FLEETON F. ALLEN ’12

Fleeton Allen is an Alumni from Suffolk Community College class of 2012. He is also an Alumni of Adelphi University School of Social Work, Hauppauge Center, where he received his BSW in 2014 and an MSW in 2015, he is also a Licensed Social Worker. Fleeton is currently is employed at Concern for Independent Living, as a Case Manager in the HUD-VASH program, where he works with Homeless Veterans and their families.

RACHEL GEARWAR ’04

Rachel Gearwar received her BA in Psychology from Stony Brook University and her Masters in Social Work from Adelphi University. She is certified by EAGALA as a Mental Health practitioner for Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. Rachel has completed Crisis Prevention, Intervention training, EAGALA military training and vaulting training. She works for Pal-O-Mine as a job coach for the work-study program, an equine assisted learning facilitator for the BOCES School districts and a natural horsemanship teacher and more.

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More than three dozen colleges and universities are expected at Suffolk County Community College’s June 9 Transfer Fair to aid Dowling College students. Dowling announced last week that the college will close.

The Thursday, June 9th fair from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Brookhaven Gymnasium on the College’s Ammerman Campus in Selden will feature representatives from colleges and universities from across Long Island as well as across the region who will speak with students about transfer opportunities.

Suffolk staff members will also be able to assist with enrollment, program selection, support for student veterans,as well as provide preliminary review of Dowling College transcripts — including unofficial copies.

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An exceptional education doesn’t have to be expensive. By choosing to enroll at Suffolk County Community College first,
you can save tens of thousands of dollars while gaining small classes, outstanding professors and a truly promising future.
Our graduates transfer to some of the nation’s most recognized universities or go on to excel in their chosen professions.
Call 631-451-4000 to find out why making Suffolk your first choice can be a decision that’s second to none.

Luis Corzo, Cornell University, Suffolk County Community College ‘09
Sandra Gattuso, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Suffolk County Community College ‘09
Ian Kolmos, New York University, Suffolk County Community College ‘09
April Delio, Stony Brook University, Suffolk County Community College ‘09
Anna Johnson, Colorado University at Boulder, Suffolk County Community College ‘09

Do you know a Suffolk County Community College graduate that should be featured? Send an email to alumni@sunysuffolk.edu

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Are you headed to a four-year SUNY campus or one of New York’s community colleges this fall? Or do you attend an out-of-state or private university? Although many students don’t enter college with the possibility of transferring on their mind, transferring can provide students a great opportunity to find a better fit, change their focus or major, or prepare for their career.

About one in three college students in the US chooses to transfer at some point. Whether you’re already enrolled at a SUNY campus or thinking about making the switch, SUNY makes it easy.

We looked at the data and broke down transfer patterns within the SUNY system to see what they say about transfer activity:

The largest numbers of students entering SUNY as transfers come from other US institutions, including public universities not in New York State, and private colleges. International students also add to SUNY enrollments.

Many transfers also happen within the system. One of the benefits of SUNY is that students have access to a huge number of possible transfer paths. About 7% of those at four-year campuses will make the jump to another, as do 9% of those at SUNY Community Colleges. On top of that, when students at Community College want to take advantage of a four-year education, they’re able to: 30% of transfers alone are from community colleges directly to other SUNY campuses, including the university centers.

As the data shows, regardless of where you start your college career, SUNY gives students from around the world huge opportunities to complete their degrees.

Written by Jack Fischer

Jack is an undergraduate student at Binghamton University majoring in computer science.